The Four Benders
by Demonwolf
Summary: Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Over 1000 years have passed since the days of Avatar Aang. When four teenage refuges with the power to bend the elements arrive in New York City, they are given hope in the form of a young boy and his family.
1. The End of the World

**The Four Benders**

_**I have recently watched Sozen's Comet again, and I got this idea. Yes, I know I have tons of stories on FF, but I couldn't help it. I think we'll have fun with this, don't you? All feedback is welcome, except for flames (that means you, Firebenders!)**_

**Prologue: The End of the World**

My name is Kaiya. I came from the Sothern Water Tribe and when I was 16, the world ended. My three friends and I, all of us prodigies at our respective Bending were the only people to survive that horrific event.

Together, we fled our homes and ended up in a place we didn't even know existed. And what we found there not only gave us hope, but the belief that life could go on, no matter how bad things got.

This is the tale of the Four Benders.


	2. Flight to the Outside World

**Ch. 1: Flight to the Outside World**

_I own only these five characters and their families. Nothing else… darn it!_

"C'mon, Aero. A little further! I can see lights! We must be close to a city!" The Sky Bison responded to Tsuru's words with an appreciative grunt and continued his journey through the starry sky. Tsuru held tightly onto the reigns attached to Aero's horns, her black ponytail streaming behind her. Behind the young Airbender, three other teenagers huddled in Aero's saddle. All four of them were still shaking from the aftermath of what they had witnessed.

"So, there's actually a city still standing?" Roko asked, his voice skeptical.

"Yes! I can see it too!" Farin leaned over the edge of the saddle and patted Aero's flank. "Alright, Aero, you good boy, you!" The Sky Bison grunted again, but sank lower in the sky, his long pink tongue dangling.

"No, Aero! That's sea water!" Tsuru called.

"Here, I've got it! Farin, help me!" Kaiya easily pulled a long stream of water up from the ocean and Farin removed the sand and salt from the liquid. Kaiya then directed the now-clean water to Aero's mouth. Refreshed, Aero flew faster, but suddenly stopped and hovered, snorting in fear. None of the four benders encouraged him to move forward; every single one of them was shocked by what they were seeing.

In front of them was a twinkling city of metal and stone. Long square buildings seemed to touch the sky and a multitude of sounds very audible even from a distance.

"What the… What _is _this place?" Farin asked, frowning.

"Don't ask me, I've never seen it." Tsuru pushed her bangs out of her face and stared harder at the shining city.

"Then, we must have reached the outside world," Kaiya replied, awed.

All four fell silent again. While all were familiar with the Air temples, the Water tribes, the Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation, there was a legend that there was another world beyond their own, a land full of technical marvels, but no bending. So far, the Outside World was believed to be _only_ a legend, but clearly this wasn't the case.

"We need to find a safe place to land, somewhere Aero won't be spotted."

"Um, Tsuru, we're talking about a _Sky Bison_ here. He's not exactly hard to miss."

"Wait, look over there!" Down below the four friends was a small island with a huge green stature of a woman holding a tablet in one hand and a torch in the other. There were no lights and no sign of any kind of civilization on the tiny piece of land. In a word, it was perfect.

"Take us down, Aero. You've earned a good rest!" Aero hummed deep in his throat and headed for the island. Upon landing, the huge beast flopped to the ground, yawned and shut his eyes.

"Aww, Aero. Doncha want some food?" Aero perked right back up as Tsuru and the others slid from his back and began setting up a camp. Farin easily bent a small hole in the ground which he and Roko filled with sticks. Roko set them on fire while Kaiya and Tsuru set out the food.

"Good thing we brought such a large picnic; it's both lunch and dinner!"

"Yeah, we didn't get a chance to eat before…" Farin's voice trialed off and he blinked several times.

"Not talking about it won't make it better, Farin," Roko said softly.

"No, but no one's up to talking about… you-know-what right now." Kaiya handed out plates to each of her friends and they began helping themselves. "For now, the fact that we're alive and together is enough to be thankful for."

"But alive for how long?" Roko asked. "Why were we allowed to live when everyone else- even the children born this very day- were not?"

"That's the spirits' decision, not ours," Tsuru reminded the Firebender as she fed Aero a large helping of fruit.

"Guess we'll never know, then." Roko bit a huge chunk out of a piece of a roasted bird and would say no more.

"So, what do you think the outside world is like?" Farin asked, watching his friends' faces.

"We'll find out tomorrow," Kaiya told him. "Even if we have to stay on this island for a while, we're going to need more supplies."

"Do we even have money?" Roko patted his pocket.

"I got us covered there. Don't worry about that."

"We'll have to be careful. If the Outside World doesn't have bending, they'll probably be frightened if we caused a commotion."

"Huh, wonder what they _do_ have?"

The campfire burned lower and one by one, the four friends fell asleep, cuddled close to Aero. Behind them, an almost full harvest moon rose above the city, looking almost like the peach that had fallen there only a yea ago.


	3. Strange New World

**Ch. 3: Strange New World**

_Four element benders and a huge flying bison in New York City. What could go wrong?_

The next day was clear and bright. Kaiya, Farin, Roko, and Tsuru were woken the blaring of horns. A ship was getting close.

"Oh, boy, we'd better move!" Tsuru checked the straps on Aero's saddle while the other three packed up their sleeping bags and empty food basket. Within minutes, everyone had boarded the massive Sky Bison; Tsuru snapped the reins and called,

"Aero! Hup hup!" Like all Sky Bison, Aero responded best to short simple commands. Tsuru's words of "hup hup" meant "fly" and Aero immediately soared high into the air.

"Can one of you guys take over?" Kaiya asked. "I need Tsuru's help." Farin took over guiding the Bison while Kaiya and Tsuru began using their respective bending to create a thick fog covering around Aero in order to prevent being seen.

"Huh… wonder what the people down below would think," Roko mused, peering through the mist. "Hopefully they'll… hey, can you girls clear the fog below us a bit? I think I spotted some trees!" The girls obligated and sure enough, a large patch of green and brown greeted the four friends. Aero gave an excited grunt and began heading for the greenery.

"Aero, wait! Hold up!" But trying to control the hungry Sky Bison was beyond even Farin's control. Aero landed among a cluster of trees with a thump and began grazing with gusto. Immediately, the four hopped off Aero and Farin sheltered him (along with a good supply of food and space) with a cluster of huge rocks.

"Well, at least we've found a good place to stay for now. Aero's happy here and if we have to move further back into the trees, we should be okay."

"Yeah, but, where are we?" Roko asked, peering through the trees. "I wonder if we're in some kind of- WHAT THE HELL?"

All four friends stood clustered behind a clump a bushes staring at the structure before them. What looked like a giant peach pit modeled to look like a house stood perched in the middle of a clearing. There were curtains and flowers in the windows, the craggy wood looked very clean, and smoke was rising from the chimney.

"Is that what I think it is?" Farin asked, his brown eyes widening.

"I… I think so." Tsuru shook her head, making her black bangs dance.

"If people have fruit big enough to make houses out of, Aero's gonna be in heaven," she said.

The front door opened and the four benders got another huge shock: a large well-dressed grasshopper walked out the front door, down the front steps and went to the mailbox. A few seconds later, a boy no older than seven or eight joined him.

"I repeat myself: WHERE are we?" Roko hissed.

"Nowhere that makes sense, I'll tell you that much," Fairn muttered.

"Hmm." Kaiya watched as the boy and the grasshopper seemed to be talking. The grasshopper placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and they went back into the house together. "I don't know what's going on, but it doesn't look like anything bad. Just… different."

"We should look around the rest of the city. Maybe we can find some answers."

"Good idea, but one of us should stay here with Aero."

"I'll do it," Tsuru volunteered. "Aero's happy so long as he has lots of space, but he can get nervous in a strange place. Besides, if people aren't used to Benders, they may freak out if they see me flying."

"Alright. And Kaiya, not to sound sexist or anything, but.."

"Say no more, Farin. You and I can walk together. If I can't _make_ a guy chill out around here, I definitely don't want to be harassed." Both Farin and Roko shot each other frightened looks; they both knew what Kaiya meant by making a guy chill out and it involved ice on a very sensitive area of the male anatomy.

"Alright," Roko agreed. "And I'll go buy supplies; we should meet back here at noon. Let's go."

* * *

"No offense to the people who live here, but this city stinks," Farin groused as he and Kaiya strolled the crowded streets/

"Tell me about it. And is it just me, or are some people starting to stare?"

As it was, quite a few people were turning to gawk at the teenagers, who looked extremely out of place. Kaiya wore a deep blue tunic over loose cream colored pants and her brown boots were thick. Farin also wore loose pants, but his tunic was green and the soles of his shoes were thin, allowing him to feel the ground beneath him. Among the men clad in suits and ties and women garbed in light dresses, blouses and skirts, there was no way Kaiya or Farin could have blended in.

"Mommy, why are they dressed like that?" Both benders heard the question of a nearby girl no older than four who was clutching her mother's hand. The mother glanced up and went back to looking at an outdoor fruit display.

"They're probably from the theatre district, honey. They must be wearing their costumes to attract people to come see their show."

Kaiya and Farin exchanged a relieved glance and continued on their way. The woman had unknowingly provided them with the cover they so desperately needed.

"So, what show are we promoting?" Farin asked under his breath.

"Mmmm… _The Four Elements_. That should be good."

"Alright."

"Hey! Hey you! Nice look, theatre freaks!"

A group of teenagers were standing on a nearby corner, smoking and looking bored. One of them started to intercept the pair, but suddenly fell flat on his back as a tremor knocked him off his feet. "Careful, Farin," Kaiya whispered, although she was grinning a bit. True, Farin had done nothing more than to tap the ball of his foot on the sidewalk, but still…

"Hey, girl! Wanna have a good time?" Apparently, the leader of the gang still hadn't learned his lesson. Kaiya waved impatiently back at him; at the same moment, a stream of coffee from a passing gentleman's cup hit the teen square in the face. Amidst both parties yelling, Farin cocked an eyebrow at the Waterbender.

"Hey, if you get one, so do I" she defended herself.

"Alright, alright, good point. I hope Roko's doing okay, though. I'd hate to be the person who gets on his bad side."

* * *

While his two friends were out roaming the streets, Roko had attempted to go shopping. He had a good supply of gold, but after watching people paying outdoor merchants with green paper currency, the Firebender knew he had to obtain some of the Outside World's money. Stopping a man dressed in an expensive looking suit, Roko asked where he might exchange foreign currency. The man gave him an odd look and said,

"You might try a bank, young man. There's one on the next street. They'll help you."

"Thank you, sir." Roko bowed and headed in the direction pointed out to him, leaving behind one very confused pedestrian. Finding the building, Roko stepped inside and was confronted by a massive lobby decorated in golden tile. Not many people were inside and he was immediately waved over by a teller.

"What are you doing here, young man?" the teller asked with a slight frown.

"I'd like to exchange some money. But first, I have a question."

"Ahh?" The teller took in Roko's red and black tunic, light pants, and slipper-like shoes and fixed the Firebender with a skeptical look. "And what question is that, young man?"

"How much is a gold piece worth here?"

The teller stared even harder at Roko, as if accusing the boy of pulling his leg. Nonetheless, he answered,

"About $40. Is this some sort of historical project you're doing?"

"No. I need to exchange 10 gold pieces. If each pieces is worth $40, then that should make my total $400, correct?" Roko kept his tone firm and his face serious as he pulled out each golden disc and laid them on the teller's counter. The man was so stunned that he simply handed the money over without looking at his strange customer again; his eyes were focused on the shiny metal that littered his oaken desk.

"Thank you." Roko bowed to the teller as he had bowed to the man who had directed him to the bank in the first place. Turning smartly on his heel, Roko headed out of the building and was halfway down the street before he noticed he was being followed. About five people had tailed him as he left the bank and Roko was willing to bet his new wad of cash that these people wanted more than just answers as to how he got the gold.

Putting on a burst of speed, Roko ducked into an alley and ran until he reached a brick wall. Closing his eyes, Roko took a deep breath and used a move only masters of Firebending could ever hope to achieve: using streams of fire from his hands, Roko propelled himself upwards and onto the roof of a nearby apartment. Throwing himself flat, Roko waited a good ten minutes before rising into a crouch and sneaking across rooftops. A few blocks later, Roko used a fire escape to make his way back to the ground and rejoined the mass of people filling the busy city streets. However, as he was closer to the theatre district than Kaiya and Farin, he received relatively few looks and was able to complete his shopping in peace. Unfortunately, the peace was not to last.

* * *

"Welcome back, guys! How was the exploring?" Tsuru had made a small campsite in her friends' absence and was clearly glad to have them back. Aero came out from behind his enclosure of rocks and sniffed at the bags Roko was carrying.

"Easy, boy, I got plenty of stuff for you too." Roko pulled a head of lettuce from a bag and tossed it into the air. Aero caught it with ease and snorted appreciatively.

"Alright. Let's get cooking!" The four friends began sifting through Roko's purchases as Farin and Kaiya explained what they had learned.

"This city is called New York," Kaiya explained. "And the country is called America. People come from all over this world to see this city, it's so famous."

"And it's become even more famous," Farin added. "About a year ago, a huge peach fell out of the sky and landed on that building." The Earthbender pointed to far-off tower with a huge spike on top of it. "It was flown here by a boy and six huge bugs. And guess where they live now?"

"The peach pit house," Tsuru gasped.

"Exactly." Kaiya nodded. "And even better, one of the bugs has become the Mayor of this city; he leads it and makes all of the important decisions. I think we need to talk to him."

"About what?" Roko looked skeptical.

"Well, he may be able to get us a place to stay, at the very least. And quite frankly, if the leader of this city is a giant talking centipede, we might stand a chance being Benders here."

Roko sighed. "Maybe… but I'm just worried that-"

"THERE THEY ARE!" All four friends gasped and stood up. A large group of men dressed in blue uniforms were converging toward their campsite, although they all stopped short when they caught sight of Aero.

"What the hell is that?" one of the men screamed.

"Be careful! It might bite!" another retorted.

"What's going on! We haven't done anything!" Farin shifted into a fighting stance and his friends did the same.

"Oh really? Then how did a bunch of kids come into possession of such a large quantity of gold?"

"The gold belongs to us. We've done nothing wrong!"

"We'll see! For now, you're coming with us!"

"Well, we're busted," Tsuru muttered, yanking a staff free from a sheath on her back.

"Yes, we are," Kaiya agreed. "Start Bending!"

_Next chapter: the action is on!_


End file.
